Released in 1966, when Bert Jansch and John Renbourn were two of England's hottest young folk guitarists-but before the duo formed The Pentangle with Danny Thompson, Terry Cox, and Jacqui McShee-- BERT AND JOHN shows two guitarists at the peak of their immense instrumental and interpretive skills. Performing mostly with Jansch on acoustic guitar and Renbourn on electric, both playing in the traditional finger-picking style, the two spin dizzyingly complex webs of sound, soloing in counterpoint and playing in unison, sounding like two close friends who have been playing together for decades.

Highlights include the playful "Tic-Tocative," the exquisitely detailed "Soho," and the lovely closer, "After the Dance." But the centerpiece is a magnificent rendition of Charles Mingus' "Goodbye Pork Pie Hat," recasting the jazz standard as a folk-style tour de force. The Wooded Hill reissue of BERT AND JOHN includes six bonus tracks, including The Pentangle's "Hole In The Cole."